This invention generally relates to a computer-assisted system for ticketing management and, more specifically, to an electronic cash register and supervisory device for garages.
As an intelligent clock, a computer-based system is designed to replace the traditional recording time clock which is used in virtually all attendant-operated parking lots and garages. Industry sources estimate that there are over 10,000 such parking locations in the United States.
While no precise estimate of losses due to inefficiency and/or misappropriation is presently available, a 5% to 10% loss is generally accepted and informally used by management. Most of the equipment which is available is directed to the fully unattended garages, such as muncipal parking garages, airports, etc. As suggested, problems can and do arise primarily in valet-type parking garages which suffer losses as a result of skimming, pigging backing of tickets, under pricing, as well as legitimate errors in computation.
The major benefit of the subject invention is to substantially improve the control and accountability for revenues generated from daily parkers in a garage who normally pay the attendant directly, and in cash.
Compared to a recording time clock, the new system will provide automatic controls in the check out and pricing of parking tickets, replacing manual operations and decisions presently left to the attendant. These include:
(1) Pricing of tickets . . . calculating time and money, and optionally visually displaying the fee to the customer.
(2) Preparing a printed customer receipt.
(3) Preparing and-of-shift control tapes for paid tickets, overnights, voids and missing tickets.
(4) Preparing on-demand car inventory printouts for on-site audits.
(5) Requiring physical presence of the claim check in order to clock-out and price a ticket.
(6) Automatically accounting, by ticket number, for all pre-numbered ticket forms assigned to the garage location.